Travel

When I travel and film the world (or write about it), every so often I am quite critical of some local cultural phenomenon. Those of you that have been following Monkeetime for a while probably notice a pattern: it usually has something to do with religion, superstition, or some sort of irrational and counterproductive behaviour. The process is quite simple: […]

Sandy beaches, palm trees, water as blue as the sky, and serenity: who doesn’t love this? Every year I spend a few months on Koh Tao, which is Thailand’s little slice of paradise, and now let me tell you about it! At 21 square kilometres, Koh Tao is a relatively small island, a quiet slice of tropical paradise on the […]

About the Trek Located in the dead centre of the Nepal Himalaya, the Annapurna Circuit trek is a spectacular experience, and possibly one of the best hiking adventures in the world. The stunning scenery, variety of animals, convenient food and board, great exercise and plentiful sunshine all combine into a memorable experience, usually backed up by 2000 […]

Air travel. Many people dread it. I guess it takes a special breed of masochist to enjoy being canned at 30,000 feet with a bunch of mammals, all of varied hygiene levels. Throw into the mix a healthy dose of turbulence, flatulence, and crew insolence, and you have yourself an adventure, but not the kind that you share on Facebook […]

A friend of mine who is working as an English teacher in Bangkok has sent me some pictures of a kiddie book used to teach English. This stuff is amazing… Oh yeah… This is why we travel… The good stuff… Seems like Thailand is completely unburdened by the idea that black people are no longer believed to be made of […]

Introducing North Korea Eagerly assuming its place among the world’s top travel destinations, even more so since the 2009 Kimchaek nuclear test, North Korea is an epic adventure. From the wide open and empty streets of Pyongyang to the push and shove of the interrogation room of the Yodok Concentration Camp for political dissidents, from the landmine-studded Demilitarized Zone to […]

A few days ago I was asked to make a contribution to a CNN Go article about momos, the Himalayan dumpling whose popularity has spread it like a wildfire to various places throughout South and East Asia. Monkeetime devotees know that I tend to not care a whole lot about local foods as for me grub is all about nourishment […]